The Ramen Girl
2008 · Movie · PG-13 · 102 min · ★ 6.5 · 55% critics
After a breakup leaves her alone in Tokyo, a young American searches for a fresh start. Drawn to a small ramen shop, she talks her way into an apprenticeship under a harsh, demanding chef, pushing through culture clashes and a language barrier to find purpose.
Where to watch
Not currently available to stream in the US.
2 hours to watch.
Streaming availability and prices may be inaccurate or change — verify with the provider before subscribing.
unSUB's subscription recommendations are informational only, not financial advice.
More value for your money
Similar titles, ranked by watch-hours per subscription dollar.
Details
- Years
- 2008
- Release date
- 2008-02-08
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Critic score
- 55/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.5/10 (368 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a light, cross-cultural comfort movie about starting over and learning a craft; Not for you if you need tight realism, polished plotting, or zero cheesiness, like in Second Act.
Pros: feel-good self-discovery arc; Japanese culture backdrop; charming lead performance | Cons: implausible plot leaps; uneven pacing; underdeveloped side stories
Themes
- japan
- cooking
- language barrier
- restaurant
- restaurant owner
- family business
- interracial romance
- fish out of water
- tokyo, japan
- gaijin
- american abroad
- teacher student relationship
- +7 more
Cast & crew
Brittany Murphy
as Abby
Tammy Blanchard
as Gretchen
Gabriel Mann
as Ethan
Toshiyuki Nishida
as Maezumi
Soji Arai
as Toshi Iwamoto
Kimiko Yo
as Reiko
Renji Ishibashi
as Udagawa
Akiko Monou
- YO
Yûya Ogawa
Tsutomu Yamazaki
as Grand Master
Directed by Robert Allan Ackerman